11 Day Uganda Safari Adventure from Kigali

Today is dedicated to an exciting golden monkey trek. After breakfast, head to the park headquarters for a pre-trek briefing. With your ranger and guide, hike into the bamboo forests of Mgahinga, where golden monkeys swing and leap through the trees. You’ll spend one magical hour observing these endangered, playful primates up close.

Return to the lodge for a late lunch or packed meal depending on the trek duration. In the afternoon, relax at the lodge or choose to visit a local community for cultural interaction.

Meals: Breakfast, Packed Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Ichumbi Hotel Kisoro / Lake Mutanda Resort / Chameleon Hill Lodge

This morning, experience the Batwa trail, an authentic cultural walk led by members of the indigenous Batwa community. Learn how the Batwa once lived as forest hunter-gatherers, using plants for medicine, making fire from sticks, and living in harmony with the forest. You’ll witness traditional dances, hunting demonstrations, and storytelling.

Afterward, enjoy lunch in Kisoro and continue your journey to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, home to almost half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas.

Drive time: Approx. 4–5 hours
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Haven Lodge Rushaga / Four Gorillas Lodge / Buhoma Lodge

The highlight of your safari awaits. After an early breakfast, head to the park headquarters for a briefing. You’ll join a small group and trek through thick rainforest in search of a habituated gorilla family. Your guides and trackers will lead the way through steep terrain and dense foliage.

Once the gorillas are found, you’ll spend one unforgettable hour observing them in their natural habitat—a truly humbling and emotional experience.

Return to the lodge in the afternoon. You’ll receive a certificate as a memento of your successful gorilla trek.

Meals: Breakfast, Packed Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Haven Lodge Rushaga / Four Gorillas Lodge / Buhoma Lodge

After breakfast, depart for the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park, famous for its rare tree-climbing lions. Arrive in time for lunch at your lodge, followed by a late afternoon game drive. Keep your eyes peeled for lions lounging in fig trees, as well as elephants, buffalo, topi, and other savannah species.

Drive time: 5–6 hours
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Ishasha Jungle Lodge / Ishasha Wilderness Camp

Enjoy a morning game drive in Ishasha before heading to the Mweya Peninsula, the northern region of Queen Elizabeth National Park. After checking in and having lunch, head out for an afternoon game drive through the Kasenyi plains, where you might spot lions, leopards, elephants, Uganda kob, and more.

Drive time: 2–3 hours
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Elephant Hab Lodge / Buffalo Safari Lodge

Start your day with another game drive through Queen Elizabeth National Park. In the afternoon, enjoy a boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel, a waterway connecting Lake Edward and Lake George. The cruise offers incredible photo opportunities and close-up views of hippos, crocodiles, elephants, buffalo, and an abundance of birdlife, including kingfishers, herons, and African fish eagles.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Buffalo Safari Lodge

After breakfast, enjoy one more game drive as you exit Queen Elizabeth National Park en route to Kibale Forest National Park, the primate capital of East Africa. Stop for lunch in Fort Portal, a scenic town near the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains. Arrive at your lodge in the afternoon and relax for the evening.

Drive time: 4–5 hours
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Turaco Treetops / Chimpanzee Forest Guest House / Primate Lodge Kibale

Today, you’ll track one of man’s closest relatives—the chimpanzee. After breakfast, attend a briefing and then head into Kibale Forest with your guide. Listen to the chimps calling through the trees and enjoy watching their social behaviors—grooming, feeding, playing, and more. Spend one hour with a habituated group before returning to the lodge.

In the afternoon, take a guided walk through Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, a community-led conservation area home to several monkey species, birds, and butterflies.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Turaco Treetops / Chimpanzee Forest Guest House / Primate Lodge Kibale

Depart Kibale and drive south to Lake Bunyonyi, often called the “Switzerland of Africa” due to its terraced hills and misty backdrop. This scenic crater lake is the perfect place to unwind after days of trekking and safari.

Check into your lakeside lodge, enjoy a leisurely lunch, and relax with views over the water. Optional activities like swimming, birdwatching, or a sunset canoe ride are available.

Drive time: 6–7 hours
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Birdnest Resort Bunyonyi / Arcadia Cottages Bunyonyi

Spend your morning exploring Lake Bunyonyi by traditional dugout canoe. Visit some of its 29 islands, including the notorious Punishment Island, and learn about the cultural stories surrounding them. Alternatively, opt for a scenic hike in the surrounding hills or a community visit.

In the afternoon, transfer back across the border into Rwanda and continue to Kigali for your departure flight or hotel drop-off.

Drive time: 4–5 hours
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch